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Why are there so many prominent Jewish pro-choicers in politics?

Michigan State Representative Lisa Brown has become a new heroine of the pro-choice movement, and she achieved this status both by invoking her Judaism and by using the word “vagina” on the State House Floor, during a heated debate of an omnibus anti-abortion bill.

“Mr. Speaker, I’m flattered that you’re all so interested my vagina, but no means no,” were her words, now echoing around the blogosphere. Brown was then prohibited from speaking further during the debate, although the exact reason for her ban has yet to be revealed. Later, Brown told the Daily Beast’s Allison Yarrow: “If you’re regulating vaginas, I don’t know how we’re supposed to not talk about them.”

As Leah Berkenwald at Jewesses With Attitude notes, the beginning of Brown’s speech was about her Judaism, and how her religion mandated therapeutic abortions if the health of the mother was in danger.

How to cite this page

Seltzer, Sarah. "Why are there so many prominent Jewish pro-choicers in politics? ." 19 June 2012. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on March 3, 2015) <http://jwa.org/blog/why-are-there-so-many-prominent-jewish-pro-choicers-in-politics>.